Drive Notes: 2014 Audi S4

Snow's no problem, and neither is having fun in it.

The R&T staff drives and performance tests hundreds of new cars every year. Because we don't have time to give each one the full review treatment, we share select logbook notes here, in a quick, easily-digested format. Unless noted otherwise, each test car is in the office for two weeks and is driven by every member of the editorial staff. Each staffer spends at least one day, but often more, in each car.

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John Krewson, Senior Editor

Because of the relentless weather, I never drove the S4 on dry pavement. Boo hoo for me! It was a blast anyway, thanks to appropriate rubber and its inherent Audiness. Quite an all-season hot rod, this, especially because Audi left some supercharger whine-growl in the V6 for us to enjoy. Some will miss the old-school Audis that had to be tossed hard into corners, unlike this more point-and-shoot design, but hey—it's all in how you point it. This thing's a blast, especially for the money; in the old bull-session game of 'This Or That For The Price', the S4's 'This' wins most of the time.

Most of the great Audi products I've been in recently have a quiet sort of excellence and competency—hardly a knock, but sometimes you want a more overt wow factor, especially at the price. Well, the S4 has it. Not in a loud or garish way, but by the manner in which it engages you from the word "go." There's an eagerness to the whole package, served perfectly by the 333-hp supercharged V6, the wonderfully balanced chassis, and the precise, satisfying shifter. All of it serves as a subtle but unmistakable current, pushing you through a corner that much faster, passing that car ahead of you with that much more emphasis. It's a car that wakes you up in the morning and reminds you that you're not just commuting, you're driving.

I've always loved the S4, so I was prepared to be a little underwhelmed getting into the 2014 3.0T S4. Anyone who balks at this car's lack of a V8 hasn't driven it. Forget the 333 hp—the 325 lb-ft of supercharged torque from 2900-5300 rpm is the real story. The car always seems on the verge of a dead sprint, even when you aren't. Thank God for Blizzaks and Audi's all-wheel drive.

Steering is loose and bit numb, but you get used to it quickly. The intake noise never gets old, but the lack of any kind of exhaust is aggravating when you want to watch the road and not the tach. Blame European noise ordinances.

PLUS:

Engine, power, refinement, comfort, and a sticker lower than that of a 328d wagon.

Does everything well, and nothing badly. The S4 is everything one could want in a sports sedan. A blast to drive, yet behaved and capable. Tailored and handsome with just the right dash of aggressive styling outside with an unbelievably-executed knockout of a cabin within. The S4's eager V-6 tied to the four driven wheels wearing winter tires simply laughed at the nasty weather thrown its way. It made what would be a white-knuckle drive home in a lesser car feel like a blast down a ski slope—minus only the lift at the end to do it all over again.